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It takes not just parents, a therapist (who is specialized in Selective Mutism), but also wonderful teachers and preschool principals to help children with Selective Mutism overcome this Anxiety Condition!

I am writing this note to all Parents of children with Selective Mutism, and also to teachers and principals of preschools as well as elementary schools and beyond.

Once again I confirmed the idea that not just when parents are involved in treatment, and also school teachers and principals open their space, and their hearts to working collaboratively with the therapist specialized in SM is when treatment is conducted in a very positive, consistent way. As a result, when treatment is conducted frequently (frequent visits to school), children with Selective Mutism show improvement and they soon start talking to other children and to their teachers.

I cannot thank enough a recent teacher that I met last week, and I will call her Ms. Mona, who welcomed me to her classroom, who learned the basic skills for CDI (Child Directed Interaction) for Selective Mutism, and who started using these skills immediately (such as Forced Choice question, 5 second wait time, and label praise for speaking). In just two visits to the school, this little child (who did not speak before with anyone) started talking to her teacher, to children in the classroom, and also to new people she met on that day.

Thus, parents and teachers of children with Selective Mutism: Make sure that if you have a therapist working with you, that they go to school and work with the child and that they give educational seminars at preschools and at other places to help teachers be equipped to help in the treatment of SM. Children who are only treated at the psychologist (or other mental health office) are not receiving the most indicated treatment for SM that has been proven to have most success and good results.

Thank you to all the parents, teachers, and principals who helped me in the last few years (more than 20) in my work with children with Selective Mutism.